1
|
Baier H, Scott EK. The Visual Systems of Zebrafish. Annu Rev Neurosci 2024; 47:255-276. [PMID: 38663429 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-104854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
The zebrafish visual system has become a paradigmatic preparation for behavioral and systems neuroscience. Around 40 types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) serve as matched filters for stimulus features, including light, optic flow, prey, and objects on a collision course. RGCs distribute their signals via axon collaterals to 12 retinorecipient areas in forebrain and midbrain. The major visuomotor hub, the optic tectum, harbors nine RGC input layers that combine information on multiple features. The retinotopic map in the tectum is locally adapted to visual scene statistics and visual subfield-specific behavioral demands. Tectal projections to premotor centers are topographically organized according to behavioral commands. The known connectivity in more than 20 processing streams allows us to dissect the cellular basis of elementary perceptual and cognitive functions. Visually evoked responses, such as prey capture or loom avoidance, are controlled by dedicated multistation pathways that-at least in the larva-resemble labeled lines. This architecture serves the neuronal code's purpose of driving adaptive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Herwig Baier
- Department of Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany;
| | - Ethan K Scott
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hamling KR, Harmon K, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Schoppik D. The Vestibulospinal Nucleus Is a Locus of Balance Development. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2315232024. [PMID: 38777599 PMCID: PMC11270517 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2315-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mature vertebrates maintain posture using vestibulospinal neurons that transform sensed instability into reflexive commands to spinal motor circuits. Postural stability improves across development. However, due to the complexity of terrestrial locomotion, vestibulospinal contributions to postural refinement in early life remain unexplored. Here we leveraged the relative simplicity of underwater locomotion to quantify the postural consequences of losing vestibulospinal neurons during development in larval zebrafish of undifferentiated sex. By comparing posture at two timepoints, we discovered that later lesions of vestibulospinal neurons led to greater instability. Analysis of thousands of individual swim bouts revealed that lesions disrupted movement timing and corrective reflexes without impacting swim kinematics, and that this effect was particularly strong in older larvae. Using a generative model of swimming, we showed how these disruptions could account for the increased postural variability at both timepoints. Finally, late lesions disrupted the fin/trunk coordination observed in older larvae, linking vestibulospinal neurons to postural control schemes used to navigate in depth. Since later lesions were considerably more disruptive to postural stability, we conclude that vestibulospinal contributions to balance increase as larvae mature. Vestibulospinal neurons are highly conserved across vertebrates; we therefore propose that they are a substrate for developmental improvements to postural control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyla R Hamling
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
| | - Katherine Harmon
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
| | - Yukiko Kimura
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Higashijima
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - David Schoppik
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Leary P, Bellegarda C, Quainoo C, Goldblatt D, Rosti B, Schoppik D. Development of the Motor Periphery is the Rate-Limiting Step in the Ontogeny of the Vestibulo-ocular Reflex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.17.594732. [PMID: 38798369 PMCID: PMC11118585 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.17.594732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Sensory deprivation reshapes developing neural circuits, and sensory feedback adjusts the strength of reflexive behaviors throughout life. Sensory development might therefore limit the rate with which behaviors mature, but the complexity of most sensorimotor circuits preclude identifying this fundamental constraint. Here we compared the functional development of components of the vertebrate vestibulo-ocular reflex circuit that stabilizes gaze. We found that vestibular interneuron responses to body tilt sensation developed well before behavioral performance peaked, even without motor neuron-derived feedback. Motor neuron responses developed similarly. Instead, the ontogeny of behavior matched the rate of neuromuscular junction development. When sensation was delayed until after the neuromuscular junction developed, behavioral performance was immediately strong. The matching timecourse and ability to determine behavior establish the development of the neuromuscular junction, and not sensory-derived information, as the rate-limiting process for an ancient and evolutionarilyconserved neural circuit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paige Leary
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Celine Bellegarda
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Cheryl Quainoo
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Dena Goldblatt
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Center for Neural Science, New York University
| | - Başak Rosti
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - David Schoppik
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zaupa M, Nagaraj N, Sylenko A, Baier H, Sawamiphak S, Filosa A. The Calmodulin-interacting peptide Pcp4a regulates feeding state-dependent behavioral choice in zebrafish. Neuron 2024; 112:1150-1164.e6. [PMID: 38295792 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Animals constantly need to judge the valence of an object in their environment: is it potential food or a threat? The brain makes fundamental decisions on the appropriate behavioral strategy by integrating external information from sensory organs and internal signals related to physiological needs. For example, a hungry animal may take more risks than a satiated one when deciding to approach or avoid an object. Using a proteomic profiling approach, we identified the Calmodulin-interacting peptide Pcp4a as a key regulator of foraging-related decisions. Food intake reduced abundance of protein and mRNA of pcp4a via dopamine D2-like receptor-mediated repression of adenylate cyclase. Accordingly, deleting the pcp4a gene made zebrafish larvae more risk averse in a binary decision assay. Strikingly, neurons in the tectum became less responsive to prey-like visual stimuli in pcp4a mutants, thus biasing the behavior toward avoidance. This study pinpoints a molecular mechanism modulating behavioral choice according to internal state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Zaupa
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13092 Berlin, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nagarjuna Nagaraj
- Biochemistry Core Facility, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Anna Sylenko
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13092 Berlin, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Suphansa Sawamiphak
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13092 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandro Filosa
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13092 Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hamling KR, Harmon K, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Schoppik D. The vestibulospinal nucleus is a locus of balance development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.06.570482. [PMID: 38105966 PMCID: PMC10723429 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.570482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Mature vertebrates maintain posture using vestibulospinal neurons that transform sensed instability into reflexive commands to spinal motor circuits. Postural stability improves across development. However, due to the complexity of terrestrial locomotion, vestibulospinal contributions to postural refinement in early life remain unexplored. Here we leveraged the relative simplicity of underwater locomotion to quantify the postural consequences of losing vestibulospinal neurons during development in larval zebrafish of undifferentiated sex. By comparing posture at two timepoints, we discovered that later lesions of vestibulospinal neurons led to greater instability. Analysis of thousands of individual swim bouts revealed that lesions disrupted movement timing and corrective reflexes without impacting swim kinematics, and that this effect was particularly strong in older larvae. Using a generative model of swimming, we showed how these disruptions could account for the increased postural variability at both timepoints. Finally, late lesions disrupted the fin/trunk coordination observed in older larvae, linking vestibulospinal neurons to postural control schemes used to navigate in depth. Since later lesions were considerably more disruptive to postural stability, we conclude that vestibulospinal contributions to balance increase as larvae mature. Vestibulospinal neurons are highly conserved across vertebrates; we therefore propose that they are a substrate for developmental improvements to postural control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyla R Hamling
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Katherine Harmon
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Yukiko Kimura
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Higashijima
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - David Schoppik
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhu Y, Gelnaw H, Auer F, Hamling KR, Ehrlich DE, Schoppik D. A brainstem circuit for gravity-guided vertical navigation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584680. [PMID: 38559209 PMCID: PMC10980031 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The sensation of gravity anchors our perception of the environment and is crucial for navigation. However, the neural circuits that transform gravity into commands for navigation are undefined. We first determined that larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) navigate vertically by maintaining a consistent heading across a series of upward climb or downward dive bouts. Gravity-blind mutant fish swim with more variable heading and excessive veering, leading to inefficient vertical navigation. After targeted photoablation of ascending vestibular neurons and spinal projecting midbrain neurons, but not vestibulospinal neurons, vertical navigation was impaired. These data define a sensorimotor circuit that uses evolutionarily-conserved brainstem architecture to transform gravitational signals into persistent heading for vertical navigation. The work lays a foundation to understand how vestibular inputs allow animals to move efficiently through their environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Zhu
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Hannah Gelnaw
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Franziska Auer
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Kyla R. Hamling
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - David E. Ehrlich
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - David Schoppik
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Auer F, Nardone K, Matsuda K, Hibi M, Schoppik D. Cerebellar Purkinje Cells Control Posture in Larval Zebrafish ( Danio rerio). BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.12.557469. [PMID: 37745506 PMCID: PMC10515840 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.557469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Cerebellar dysfunction leads to postural instability. Recent work in freely moving rodents has transformed investigations of cerebellar contributions to posture. However, the combined complexity of terrestrial locomotion and the rodent cerebellum motivate development of new approaches to perturb cerebellar function in simpler vertebrates. Here, we used a powerful chemogenetic tool (TRPV1/capsaicin) to define the role of Purkinje cells - the output neurons of the cerebellar cortex - as larval zebrafish swam freely in depth. We achieved both bidirectional control (activation and ablation) of Purkinje cells while performing quantitative high-throughput assessment of posture and locomotion. Activation disrupted postural control in the pitch (nose-up/nose-down) axis. Similarly, ablations disrupted pitch-axis posture and fin-body coordination responsible for climbs. Postural disruption was more widespread in older larvae, offering a window into emergent roles for the developing cerebellum in the control of posture. Finally, we found that activity in Purkinje cells could individually and collectively encode tilt direction, a key feature of postural control neurons. Our findings delineate an expected role for the cerebellum in postural control and vestibular sensation in larval zebrafish, establishing the validity of TRPV1/capsaicin-mediated perturbations in a simple, genetically-tractable vertebrate. Moreover, by comparing the contributions of Purkinje cell ablations to posture in time, we uncover signatures of emerging cerebellar control of posture across early development. This work takes a major step towards understanding an ancestral role of the cerebellum in regulating postural maturation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Auer
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Katherine Nardone
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Koji Matsuda
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Japan
| | - Masahiko Hibi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Japan
| | - David Schoppik
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wullimann MF, Mokayes N, Shainer I, Kuehn E, Baier H. Genoarchitectonics of the larval zebrafish diencephalon. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25549. [PMID: 37983970 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The brain is spatially organized into subdivisions, nuclei and areas, which often correspond to functional and developmental units. A segmentation of brain regions in the form of a consensus atlas facilitates mechanistic studies and is a prerequisite for sharing information among neuroanatomists. Gene expression patterns objectively delineate boundaries between brain regions and provide information about their developmental and evolutionary histories. To generate a detailed molecular map of the larval zebrafish diencephalon, we took advantage of the Max Planck Zebrafish Brain (mapzebrain) atlas, which aligns hundreds of transcript and transgene expression patterns in a shared coordinate system. Inspection and co-visualization of close to 50 marker genes have allowed us to resolve the tripartite prosomeric scaffold of the diencephalon at unprecedented resolution. This approach clarified the genoarchitectonic partitioning of the alar diencephalon into pretectum (alar part of prosomere P1), thalamus (alar part of prosomere P2, with habenula and pineal complex), and prethalamus (alar part of prosomere P3). We further identified the region of the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus, as well as the posterior and anterior parts of the posterior tuberculum, as molecularly distinct basal parts of prosomeres 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Some of the markers examined allowed us to locate glutamatergic, GABAergic, dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and various neuropeptidergic domains in the larval zebrafish diencephalon. Our molecular neuroanatomical approach has thus (1) yielded an objective and internally consistent interpretation of the prosomere boundaries within the zebrafish forebrain; has (2) produced a list of markers, which in sparse combinations label the subdivisions of the diencephalon; and is (3) setting the stage for further functional and developmental studies in this vertebrate brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Wullimann
- Genes - Circuits - Behavior Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU Munich), Martinsried, Germany
| | - Nouwar Mokayes
- Genes - Circuits - Behavior Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Inbal Shainer
- Genes - Circuits - Behavior Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Enrico Kuehn
- Genes - Circuits - Behavior Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Herwig Baier
- Genes - Circuits - Behavior Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Goldblatt D, Rosti B, Hamling KR, Leary P, Panchal H, Li M, Gelnaw H, Huang S, Quainoo C, Schoppik D. Motor neurons are dispensable for the assembly of a sensorimotor circuit for gaze stabilization. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.25.577261. [PMID: 38328255 PMCID: PMC10849732 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Sensorimotor reflex circuits engage distinct neuronal subtypes, defined by precise connectivity, to transform sensation into compensatory behavior. Whether and how motor neuron populations specify the subtype fate and/or sensory connectivity of their pre-motor partners remains controversial. Here, we discovered that motor neurons are dispensable for proper connectivity in the vestibular reflex circuit that stabilizes gaze. We first measured activity following vestibular sensation in pre-motor projection neurons after constitutive loss of their extraocular motor neuron partners. We observed normal responses and topography indicative of unchanged functional connectivity between sensory neurons and projection neurons. Next, we show that projection neurons remain anatomically and molecularly poised to connect appropriately with their downstream partners. Lastly, we show that the transcriptional signatures that typify projection neurons develop independently of motor partners. Our findings comprehensively overturn a long-standing model: that connectivity in the circuit for gaze stabilization is retrogradely determined by motor partner-derived signals. By defining the contribution of motor neurons to specification of an archetypal sensorimotor circuit, our work speaks to comparable processes in the spinal cord and advances our understanding of general principles of neural development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dena Goldblatt
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
- Center for Neural Science, New York University
| | - Başak Rosti
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
| | - Kyla R. Hamling
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
| | - Paige Leary
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
| | - Harsh Panchal
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
| | - Marlyn Li
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
- Center for Neural Science, New York University
| | - Hannah Gelnaw
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
| | - Stephanie Huang
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
- Center for Neural Science, New York University
| | - Cheryl Quainoo
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
| | - David Schoppik
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Health
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Davis SN, Zhu Y, Schoppik D. Multisensory strategies for postural compensation after lateral line loss. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576760. [PMID: 38328242 PMCID: PMC10849565 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
To control elevation underwater, aquatic vertebrates integrate multisensory information (e.g., vestibular, visual, proprioceptive) to guide posture and swim kinematics. Here we characterized how larval zebrafish changed posture and locomotive strategies after imposed instability (decreased buoyancy) in the presence and absence of visual cues. We discovered that larvae sank more after acute loss of lateral line (flow-sensing) hair cells. In response, larvae engaged different compensatory strategies, depending on whether they were in the light or dark. In the dark, larvae swam more frequently, engaging their trunk to steer their nose up and climb more effectively. However, in the light, larvae climbed more often, engaging both pectoral fins and trunk to elevate. We conclude that larvae sense instability and use vestibular and visual information as available to control posture and trajectory. Our work is a step towards understanding the multisensory neural computations responsible for control strategies that allow orientation and navigation in depth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha N. Davis
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Yunlu Zhu
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
| | - David Schoppik
- Depts. of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and the Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Chai Y, Qi K, Wu Y, Li D, Tan G, Guo Y, Chu J, Mu Y, Shen C, Wen Q. All-optical interrogation of brain-wide activity in freely swimming larval zebrafish. iScience 2024; 27:108385. [PMID: 38205255 PMCID: PMC10776927 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
We introduce an all-optical technique that enables volumetric imaging of brain-wide calcium activity and targeted optogenetic stimulation of specific brain regions in unrestrained larval zebrafish. The system consists of three main components: a 3D tracking module, a dual-color fluorescence imaging module, and a real-time activity manipulation module. Our approach uses a sensitive genetically encoded calcium indicator in combination with a long Stokes shift red fluorescence protein as a reference channel, allowing the extraction of Ca2+ activity from signals contaminated by motion artifacts. The method also incorporates rapid 3D image reconstruction and registration, facilitating real-time selective optogenetic stimulation of different regions of the brain. By demonstrating that selective light activation of the midbrain regions in larval zebrafish could reliably trigger biased turning behavior and changes of brain-wide neural activity, we present a valuable tool for investigating the causal relationship between distributed neural circuit dynamics and naturalistic behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuming Chai
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Kexin Qi
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yubin Wu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Daguang Li
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Guodong Tan
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yuqi Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Optical Imaging Technology and Center for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Chu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Optical Imaging Technology and Center for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Mu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Shen
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Quan Wen
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Integrative Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Apaydin O, Altaikyzy A, Filosa A, Sawamiphak S. Alpha-1 adrenergic signaling drives cardiac regeneration via extracellular matrix remodeling transcriptional program in zebrafish macrophages. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2460-2476.e7. [PMID: 37875117 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
The autonomic nervous system plays a pivotal role in cardiac repair. Here, we describe the mechanistic underpinning of adrenergic signaling in fibrotic and regenerative response of the heart to be dependent on immunomodulation. A pharmacological approach identified adrenergic receptor alpha-1 as a key regulator of macrophage phenotypic diversification following myocardial damage in zebrafish. Genetic manipulation and single-cell transcriptomics showed that the receptor signals activation of an "extracellular matrix remodeling" transcriptional program in a macrophage subset, which serves as a key regulator of matrix composition and turnover. Mechanistically, adrenergic receptor alpha-1-activated macrophages determine activation of collagen-12-expressing fibroblasts, a cellular determinant of cardiac regenerative niche, through midkine-mediated paracrine crosstalk, allowing lymphatic and blood vessel growth and cardiomyocyte proliferation at the lesion site. These findings identify the mechanism of adrenergic signaling in macrophage phenotypic and functional determination and highlight the potential of neural modulation for regulation of fibrosis and coordination of myocardial regenerative response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Onur Apaydin
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany; Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Akerke Altaikyzy
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandro Filosa
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Suphansa Sawamiphak
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
El Manira A. Modular circuit organization for speed control of locomotor movements. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102760. [PMID: 37597455 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Our movements and actions stem from complex processes in the central nervous system. Precise adaptation of locomotor movements is essential for effectively interacting with the environment. To understand the mechanisms underlying these movements, it is crucial to determine the organization of spinal circuits at the level of individual neurons and synapses. This review highlights the insights gained from studying spinal circuits in adult zebrafish and discusses their broader implications for our understanding of locomotor control across species.
Collapse
|
14
|
Carbo-Tano M, Lapoix M, Jia X, Thouvenin O, Pascucci M, Auclair F, Quan FB, Albadri S, Aguda V, Farouj Y, Hillman EMC, Portugues R, Del Bene F, Thiele TR, Dubuc R, Wyart C. The mesencephalic locomotor region recruits V2a reticulospinal neurons to drive forward locomotion in larval zebrafish. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1775-1790. [PMID: 37667039 PMCID: PMC10545542 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01418-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) is a brain stem area whose stimulation triggers graded forward locomotion. How MLR neurons recruit downstream vsx2+ (V2a) reticulospinal neurons (RSNs) is poorly understood. Here, to overcome this challenge, we uncovered the locus of MLR in transparent larval zebrafish and show that the MLR locus is distinct from the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus. MLR stimulations reliably elicit forward locomotion of controlled duration and frequency. MLR neurons recruit V2a RSNs via projections onto somata in pontine and retropontine areas, and onto dendrites in the medulla. High-speed volumetric imaging of neuronal activity reveals that strongly MLR-coupled RSNs are active for steering or forward swimming, whereas weakly MLR-coupled medullary RSNs encode the duration and frequency of the forward component. Our study demonstrates how MLR neurons recruit specific V2a RSNs to control the kinematics of forward locomotion and suggests conservation of the motor functions of V2a RSNs across vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Carbo-Tano
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Lapoix
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Xinyu Jia
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Thouvenin
- Institut Langevin, École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, Paris Sciences et Lettres, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Marco Pascucci
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, NeuroSpin, Baobab, Centre d'études de Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- The American University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - François Auclair
- Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Feng B Quan
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Shahad Albadri
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Vernie Aguda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Younes Farouj
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Elizabeth M C Hillman
- Laboratory for Functional Optical Imaging, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ruben Portugues
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Filippo Del Bene
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Tod R Thiele
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Réjean Dubuc
- Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Department of Exercise Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Claire Wyart
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau, ICM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Campus Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Légaré A, Lemieux M, Desrosiers P, De Koninck P. Zebrafish brain atlases: a collective effort for a tiny vertebrate brain. NEUROPHOTONICS 2023; 10:044409. [PMID: 37786400 PMCID: PMC10541682 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.10.4.044409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades, digital brain atlases have emerged as essential tools for sharing and integrating complex neuroscience datasets. Concurrently, the larval zebrafish has become a prominent vertebrate model offering a strategic compromise for brain size, complexity, transparency, optogenetic access, and behavior. We provide a brief overview of digital atlases recently developed for the larval zebrafish brain, intersecting neuroanatomical information, gene expression patterns, and connectivity. These atlases are becoming pivotal by centralizing large datasets while supporting the generation of circuit hypotheses as functional measurements can be registered into an atlas' standard coordinate system to interrogate its structural database. As challenges persist in mapping neural circuits and incorporating functional measurements into zebrafish atlases, we emphasize the importance of collaborative efforts and standardized protocols to expand these resources to crack the complex codes of neuronal activity guiding behavior in this tiny vertebrate brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mado Lemieux
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Patrick Desrosiers
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Université Laval, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Optics, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Paul De Koninck
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Université Laval, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-informatics, Québec, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Liu Z, Bagnall MW. Organization of vestibular circuits for postural control in zebrafish. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102776. [PMID: 37634321 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Most animals begin controlling their posture, or orientation with respect to gravity, at an early stage in life. Posture is vital for locomotor function. Even animals like fish, which are capable of swimming upside-down, must actively control their orientation to coordinate behaviors such as capturing prey near the water's surface. Here we review recent research from multiple laboratories investigating the organization and function of the vestibular circuits underlying postural control in zebrafish. Some findings in zebrafish strongly align with prior observations in mammals, reinforcing our understanding of homologies between systems. In other instances, the unique transparency and accessibility of zebrafish has enabled new analyses of several neural circuit components that remain challenging to study in mammalian systems. These new results demonstrate topographical and circuit features in postural control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhikai Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis MO 63108, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. https://twitter.com/zhikai_liu
| | - Martha W Bagnall
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis MO 63108, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Brandt JP, Smith CJ. Piezo1-mediated spontaneous calcium transients in satellite glia impact dorsal root ganglia development. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002319. [PMID: 37747915 PMCID: PMC10564127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous Ca2+ transients of neural cells is a hallmark of the developing nervous system. It is widely accepted that chemical signals, like neurotransmitters, contribute to spontaneous Ca2+ transients in the nervous system. Here, we reveal an additional mechanism of spontaneous Ca2+ transients that is mechanosensitive in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) using intravital imaging of growing dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in zebrafish embryos. GCaMP6s imaging shows that developing DRG satellite glia contain distinct spontaneous Ca2+ transients, classified into simultaneous, isolated, and microdomains. Longitudinal analysis over days in development demonstrates that as DRG satellite glia become more synchronized, isolated Ca2+ transients remain constant. Using a chemical screen, we identify that Ca2+ transients in DRG glia are dependent on mechanical properties, which we confirmed using an experimental application of mechanical force. We find that isolated spontaneous Ca2+ transients of the glia during development is altered by manipulation of mechanosensitive protein Piezo1, which is expressed in the developing ganglia. In contrast, simultaneous Ca2+ transients of DRG satellite glia is not Piezo1-mediated, thus demonstrating that distinct mechanisms mediate subtypes of spontaneous Ca2+ transients. Activating Piezo1 eventually impacts the cell abundance of DRG cells and behaviors that are driven by DRG neurons. Together, our results reveal mechanistically distinct subtypes of Ca2+ transients in satellite glia and introduce mechanobiology as a critical component of spontaneous Ca2+ transients in the developing PNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob P. Brandt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
- The Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Cody J. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
- The Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Brehm N, Wenke N, Glessner K, Haehnel-Taguchi M. Physiological responses of mechanosensory systems in the head of larval zebrafish ( Danio rerio). Front Robot AI 2023; 10:1212626. [PMID: 37583713 PMCID: PMC10423815 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2023.1212626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral line system of zebrafish consists of the anterior lateral line, with neuromasts distributed on the head, and the posterior lateral line, with neuromasts distributed on the trunk. The sensory afferent neurons are contained in the anterior and posterior lateral line ganglia, respectively. So far, the vast majority of physiological and developmental studies have focused on the posterior lateral line. However, studies that focus on the anterior lateral line, especially on its physiology, are very rare. The anterior lateral line involves different neuromast patterning processes, specific distribution of synapses, and a unique role in behavior. Here, we report our observations regarding the development of the lateral line and analyze the physiological responses of the anterior lateral line to mechanical and water jet stimuli. Sensing in the fish head may be crucial to avoid obstacles, catch prey, and orient in water current, especially in the absence of visual cues. Alongside the lateral line, the trigeminal system, with its fine nerve endings innervating the skin, could contribute to perceiving mechanosensory stimulation. Therefore, we compare the physiological responses of the lateral line afferent neurons to responses of trigeminal neurons and responsiveness of auditory neurons. We show that anterior lateral line neurons are tuned to the velocity of mechanosensory ramp stimulation, while trigeminal neurons either only respond to mechanical step stimuli or fast ramp and step stimuli. Auditory neurons did not respond to mechanical or water jet stimuli. These results may prove to be essential in designing underwater robots and artificial lateral lines, with respect to the spectra of stimuli that the different mechanosensory systems in the larval head are tuned to, and underline the importance and functionality of the anterior lateral line system in the larval fish head.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nils Brehm
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute for Biology 1, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Melanie Haehnel-Taguchi
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute for Biology 1, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Petrucco L, Lavian H, Wu YK, Svara F, Štih V, Portugues R. Neural dynamics and architecture of the heading direction circuit in zebrafish. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:765-773. [PMID: 37095397 PMCID: PMC10166860 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01308-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Animals generate neural representations of their heading direction. Notably, in insects, heading direction is topographically represented by the activity of neurons in the central complex. Although head direction cells have been found in vertebrates, the connectivity that endows them with their properties is unknown. Using volumetric lightsheet imaging, we find a topographical representation of heading direction in a neuronal network in the zebrafish anterior hindbrain, where a sinusoidal bump of activity rotates following directional swims of the fish and is otherwise stable over many seconds. Electron microscopy reconstructions show that, although the cell bodies are located in a dorsal region, these neurons arborize in the interpeduncular nucleus, where reciprocal inhibitory connectivity stabilizes the ring attractor network that encodes heading. These neurons resemble those found in the fly central complex, showing that similar circuit architecture principles may underlie the representation of heading direction across the animal kingdom and paving the way to an unprecedented mechanistic understanding of these networks in vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Petrucco
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Hagar Lavian
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - You Kure Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Fabian Svara
- Department of Computational Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Ruben Portugues
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lacroix-Ouellette P, Dubuc R. Brainstem neural mechanisms controlling locomotion with special reference to basal vertebrates. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:910207. [PMID: 37063386 PMCID: PMC10098025 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.910207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last 60 years, the basic neural circuitry responsible for the supraspinal control of locomotion has progressively been uncovered. Initially, significant progress was made in identifying the different supraspinal structures controlling locomotion in mammals as well as some of the underlying mechanisms. It became clear, however, that the complexity of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) prevented researchers from characterizing the detailed cellular mechanisms involved and that animal models with a simpler nervous system were needed. Basal vertebrate species such as lampreys, xenopus embryos, and zebrafish became models of choice. More recently, optogenetic approaches have considerably revived interest in mammalian models. The mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) is an important brainstem region known to control locomotion in all vertebrate species examined to date. It controls locomotion through intermediary cells in the hindbrain, the reticulospinal neurons (RSNs). The MLR comprises populations of cholinergic and glutamatergic neurons and their specific contribution to the control of locomotion is not fully resolved yet. Moreover, the downward projections from the MLR to RSNs is still not fully understood. Reporting on discoveries made in different animal models, this review article focuses on the MLR, its projections to RSNs, and the contribution of these neural elements to the control of locomotion. Excellent and detailed reviews on the brainstem control of locomotion have been recently published with emphasis on mammalian species. The present review article focuses on findings made in basal vertebrates such as the lamprey, to help direct new research in mammals, including humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Réjean Dubuc
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Research Group for Adapted Physical Activity, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Réjean Dubuc,
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Biomechanics and neural circuits for vestibular-induced fine postural control in larval zebrafish. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1217. [PMID: 36898983 PMCID: PMC10006170 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36682-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Land-walking vertebrates maintain a desirable posture by finely controlling muscles. It is unclear whether fish also finely control posture in the water. Here, we showed that larval zebrafish have fine posture control. When roll-tilted, fish recovered their upright posture using a reflex behavior, which was a slight body bend near the swim bladder. The vestibular-induced body bend produces a misalignment between gravity and buoyancy, generating a moment of force that recovers the upright posture. We identified the neural circuits for the reflex, including the vestibular nucleus (tangential nucleus) through reticulospinal neurons (neurons in the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus) to the spinal cord, and finally to the posterior hypaxial muscles, a special class of muscles near the swim bladder. These results suggest that fish maintain a dorsal-up posture by frequently performing the body bend reflex and demonstrate that the reticulospinal pathway plays a critical role in fine postural control.
Collapse
|
22
|
Tilt in Place Microscopy: a Simple, Low-Cost Solution to Image Neural Responses to Body Rotations. J Neurosci 2023; 43:936-948. [PMID: 36517242 PMCID: PMC9908314 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1736-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals use information about gravity and other destabilizing forces to balance and navigate through their environment. Measuring how brains respond to these forces requires considerable technical knowledge and/or financial resources. We present a simple alternative-Tilt In Place Microscopy (TIPM), a low-cost and noninvasive way to measure neural activity following rapid changes in body orientation. Here, we used TIPM to study vestibulospinal neurons in larval zebrafish during and immediately after roll tilts. Vestibulospinal neurons responded with reliable increases in activity that varied as a function of ipsilateral tilt amplitude. TIPM differentiated tonic (i.e., sustained tilt) from phasic responses, revealing coarse topography of stimulus sensitivity in the lateral vestibular nucleus. Neuronal variability across repeated sessions was minor relative to trial-to-trial variability, allowing us to use TIPM for longitudinal studies of the same neurons across two developmental time points. There, we observed global increases in response strength and systematic changes in the neural representation of stimulus direction. Our data extend classical characterization of the body tilt representation by vestibulospinal neurons and establish the utility of TIPM to study the neural basis of balance, especially in developing animals.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Vestibular sensation influences everything from navigation to interoception. Here, we detail a straightforward, validated, and nearly universal approach to image how the nervous system senses and responds to body tilts. We use our new method to replicate and expand on past findings of tilt sensing by a conserved population of spinal-projecting vestibular neurons. The simplicity and broad compatibility of our approach will democratize the study of the response of the brain to destabilization, particularly across development.
Collapse
|
23
|
Zhu SI, Goodhill GJ. From perception to behavior: The neural circuits underlying prey hunting in larval zebrafish. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1087993. [PMID: 36817645 PMCID: PMC9928868 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1087993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A key challenge for neural systems is to extract relevant information from the environment and make appropriate behavioral responses. The larval zebrafish offers an exciting opportunity for studying these sensing processes and sensory-motor transformations. Prey hunting is an instinctual behavior of zebrafish that requires the brain to extract and combine different attributes of the sensory input and form appropriate motor outputs. Due to its small size and transparency the larval zebrafish brain allows optical recording of whole-brain activity to reveal the neural mechanisms involved in prey hunting and capture. In this review we discuss how the larval zebrafish brain processes visual information to identify and locate prey, the neural circuits governing the generation of motor commands in response to prey, how hunting behavior can be modulated by internal states and experience, and some outstanding questions for the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuyu I. Zhu
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Brainstem circuits encoding start, speed, and duration of swimming in adult zebrafish. Neuron 2023; 111:372-386.e4. [PMID: 36413988 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The flexibility of locomotor movements requires an accurate control of their start, duration, and speed. How brainstem circuits encode and convey these locomotor parameters remains unclear. Here, we have combined in vivo calcium imaging, electrophysiology, anatomy, and behavior in adult zebrafish to address these questions. We reveal that the detailed parameters of locomotor movements are encoded by two molecularly, topographically, and functionally segregated glutamatergic neuron subpopulations within the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus. The start, duration, and changes of locomotion speed are encoded by vGlut2+ neurons, whereas vGlut1+ neurons encode sudden changes to high speed/high amplitude movements. Ablation of vGlut2+ neurons compromised slow-explorative swimming, whereas vGlut1+ neuron ablation impaired fast swimming. Our results provide mechanistic insights into how separate brainstem subpopulations implement flexible locomotor commands. These two brainstem command subpopulations are suitably organized to integrate environmental cues and hence generate flexible swimming movements to match the animal's behavioral needs.
Collapse
|
25
|
Kim LU, Riecke H. Intersegmental coordination of the central pattern generator via interleaved electrical and chemical synapses in zebrafish spinal cord. J Comput Neurosci 2023; 51:129-147. [PMID: 36229719 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-022-00837-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A significant component of the repetitive dynamics during locomotion in vertebrates is generated within the spinal cord. The legged locomotion of mammals is most likely controled by a hierarchical, multi-layer spinal network structure, while the axial circuitry generating the undulatory swimming motion of animals like lamprey is thought to have only a single layer in each segment. Recent experiments have suggested a hybrid network structure in zebrafish larvae in which two types of excitatory interneurons (V2a-I and V2a-II) both make first-order connections to the brain and last-order connections to the motor pool. These neurons are connected by electrical and chemical synapses across segments. Through computational modeling and an asymptotic perturbation approach we show that this interleaved interaction between the two neuron populations allows the spinal network to quickly establish the correct activation sequence of the segments when starting from random initial conditions, as needed for a swimming spurt, and to reduce the dependence of the intersegmental phase difference (ISPD) of the oscillations on the swimming frequency. The latter reduces the frequency dependence of the waveform of the swimming motion. In the model the reduced frequency dependence is largely due to the different impact of chemical and electrical synapses on the ISPD and to the significant spike-frequency adaptation that has been observed experimentally in V2a-II neurons, but not in V2a-I neurons. Our model makes experimentally testable predictions and points to a benefit of the hybrid structure for undulatory locomotion that may not be relevant for legged locomotion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lae Un Kim
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Hermann Riecke
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Larbi MC, Messa G, Jalal H, Koutsikou S. An early midbrain sensorimotor pathway is involved in the timely initiation and direction of swimming in the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:1027831. [PMID: 36619662 PMCID: PMC9810627 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.1027831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate locomotion is heavily dependent on descending control originating in the midbrain and subsequently influencing central pattern generators in the spinal cord. However, the midbrain neuronal circuitry and its connections with other brainstem and spinal motor circuits has not been fully elucidated. Vertebrates with very simple nervous system, like the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpole, have been instrumental in unravelling fundamental principles of locomotion and its suspraspinal control. Here, we use behavioral and electrophysiological approaches in combination with lesions of the midbrain to investigate its contribution to the initiation and control of the tadpole swimming in response to trunk skin stimulation. None of the midbrain lesions studied here blocked the tadpole's sustained swim behavior following trunk skin stimulation. However, we identified that distinct midbrain lesions led to significant changes in the latency and trajectory of swimming. These changes could partly be explained by the increase in synchronous muscle contractions on the opposite sides of the tadpole's body and permanent deflection of the tail from its normal position, respectively. We conclude that the tadpole's embryonic trunk skin sensorimotor pathway involves the midbrain, which harbors essential neuronal circuitry to significantly contribute to the appropriate, timely and coordinated selection and execution of locomotion, imperative to the animal's survival.
Collapse
|
27
|
Zhang Y, Huang R, Nörenberg W, Arrenberg AB. A robust receptive field code for optic flow detection and decomposition during self-motion. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2505-2516.e8. [PMID: 35550724 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The perception of optic flow is essential for any visually guided behavior of a moving animal. To mechanistically predict behavior and understand the emergence of self-motion perception in vertebrate brains, it is essential to systematically characterize the motion receptive fields (RFs) of optic-flow-processing neurons. Here, we present the fine-scale RFs of thousands of motion-sensitive neurons studied in the diencephalon and the midbrain of zebrafish. We found neurons that serve as linear filters and robustly encode directional and speed information of translation-induced optic flow. These neurons are topographically arranged in pretectum according to translation direction. The unambiguous encoding of translation enables the decomposition of translational and rotational self-motion information from mixed optic flow. In behavioral experiments, we successfully demonstrated the predicted decomposition in the optokinetic and optomotor responses. Together, our study reveals the algorithm and the neural implementation for self-motion estimation in a vertebrate visual system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre for Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ruoyu Huang
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wiebke Nörenberg
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre for Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Aristides B Arrenberg
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Rajan G, Lafaye J, Faini G, Carbo-Tano M, Duroure K, Tanese D, Panier T, Candelier R, Henninger J, Britz R, Judkewitz B, Gebhardt C, Emiliani V, Debregeas G, Wyart C, Del Bene F. Evolutionary divergence of locomotion in two related vertebrate species. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110585. [PMID: 35354040 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion exists in diverse forms in nature; however, little is known about how closely related species with similar neuronal circuitry can evolve different navigational strategies to explore their environments. Here, we investigate this question by comparing divergent swimming pattern in larval Danionella cerebrum (DC) and zebrafish (ZF). We show that DC displays long continuous swimming events when compared with the short burst-and-glide swimming in ZF. We reveal that mesencephalic locomotion maintenance neurons in the midbrain are sufficient to cause this increased swimming. Moreover, we propose that the availability of dissolved oxygen and timing of swim bladder inflation drive the observed differences in the swim pattern. Our findings uncover the neural substrate underlying the evolutionary divergence of locomotion and its adaptation to their environmental constraints.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gokul Rajan
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France; Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France
| | - Julie Lafaye
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Giulia Faini
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Martin Carbo-Tano
- Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 CNRS UMR 7225, Inserm U1127, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Karine Duroure
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France; Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France
| | - Dimitrii Tanese
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Panier
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Candelier
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jörg Henninger
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf Britz
- Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Museum für Zoologie, 01109 Dresden, Germany
| | - Benjamin Judkewitz
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Gebhardt
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France
| | - Valentina Emiliani
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Georges Debregeas
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire Jean Perrin (LJP), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 CNRS UMR 7225, Inserm U1127, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Filippo Del Bene
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France; Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U934, CNRS UMR3215, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Corradi L, Bruzzone M, Maschio MD, Sawamiphak S, Filosa A. Hypothalamic Galanin-producing neurons regulate stress in zebrafish through a peptidergic, self-inhibitory loop. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1497-1510.e5. [PMID: 35219430 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Animals possess neuronal circuits inducing stress to avoid or cope with threats present in their surroundings, for instance, by promoting behaviors, such as avoidance and escape. However, mechanisms must exist to tightly control responses to stressors, since overactivation of stress circuits is deleterious for the wellbeing of an organism. The underlying neuronal dynamics responsible for controlling behavioral responses to stress have remained unclear. Here, we describe a neuronal circuit in the hypothalamus of zebrafish larvae that inhibits stress-related behaviors and prevents excessive activation of the neuroendocrine pathway hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis. Central components of this circuit are neurons secreting the neuropeptide Galanin, as ablation of these neurons led to abnormally high levels of stress. Surprisingly, we found that Galanin has a self-inhibitory action on Galanin-producing neurons. Our results suggest that hypothalamic Galanin-producing neurons play an important role in fine-tuning stress responses by preventing potentially harmful overactivation of stress-regulating circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Corradi
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matteo Bruzzone
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Marco Dal Maschio
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Suphansa Sawamiphak
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandro Filosa
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Abstract
Locomotion is a universal motor behavior that is expressed as the output of many integrated brain functions. Locomotion is organized at several levels of the nervous system, with brainstem circuits acting as the gate between brain areas regulating innate, emotional, or motivational locomotion and executive spinal circuits. Here we review recent advances on brainstem circuits involved in controlling locomotion. We describe how delineated command circuits govern the start, speed, stop, and steering of locomotion. We also discuss how these pathways interface between executive circuits in the spinal cord and diverse brain areas important for context-specific selection of locomotion. A recurrent theme is the need to establish a functional connectome to and from brainstem command circuits. Finally, we point to unresolved issues concerning the integrated function of locomotor control. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience, Volume 45 is July 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Leiras
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jared M. Cregg
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Motor behavior: A feedforward circuit for zebrafish escape. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R965-R967. [PMID: 34375603 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A recent study of motor control in zebrafish demonstrates the critical role of an excitatory neural relay network in the transformation of a unilateral turn command into a subsequent bilateral swim signal. A rapid and smooth transition between these motor phases is critical for successfully escaping danger.
Collapse
|
32
|
Matsuda K, Kubo F. Circuit Organization Underlying Optic Flow Processing in Zebrafish. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:709048. [PMID: 34366797 PMCID: PMC8334359 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.709048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals’ self-motion generates a drifting movement of the visual scene in the entire field of view called optic flow. Animals use the sensation of optic flow to estimate their own movements and accordingly adjust their body posture and position and stabilize the direction of gaze. In zebrafish and other vertebrates, optic flow typically drives the optokinetic response (OKR) and optomotor response (OMR). Recent functional imaging studies in larval zebrafish have identified the pretectum as a primary center for optic flow processing. In contrast to the view that the pretectum acts as a relay station of direction-selective retinal inputs, pretectal neurons respond to much more complex visual features relevant to behavior, such as spatially and temporally integrated optic flow information. Furthermore, optic flow signals, as well as motor signals, are represented in the cerebellum in a region-specific manner. Here we review recent findings on the circuit organization that underlies the optic flow processing driving OKR and OMR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koji Matsuda
- Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Fumi Kubo
- Center for Frontier Research, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.,Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Xu L, Guan NN, Huang CX, Hua Y, Song J. A neuronal circuit that generates the temporal motor sequence for the defensive response in zebrafish larvae. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3343-3357.e4. [PMID: 34289386 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Animals use a precisely timed motor sequence to escape predators. This requires the nervous system to coordinate several motor behaviors and execute them in a temporal and smooth manner. We here describe a neuronal circuit that faithfully generates a defensive motor sequence in zebrafish larvae. The temporally specific defensive motor sequence consists of an initial escape and a subsequent swim behavior and can be initiated by unilateral stimulation of a single Mauthner cell (M-cell). The smooth transition from escape behavior to swim behavior is achieved by activating a neuronal chain circuit, which permits an M-cell to drive descending neurons in bilateral nucleus of medial longitudinal fascicle (nMLF) via activation of an intermediate excitatory circuit formed by interconnected hindbrain cranial relay neurons. The sequential activation of M-cells and neurons in bilateral nMLF via activation of hindbrain cranial relay neurons ensures the smooth execution of escape and swim behaviors in a timely manner. We propose an existence of a serial model that executes a temporal motor sequence involving three different brain regions that initiates the escape behavior and triggers a subsequent swim. This model has general implications regarding the neural control of complex motor sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Xu
- Motor Control Laboratory, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Na N Guan
- Motor Control Laboratory, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092 Shanghai, China
| | - Chun-Xiao Huang
- Motor Control Laboratory, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yunfeng Hua
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200125, China
| | - Jianren Song
- Motor Control Laboratory, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, 200092 Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Kolesov DV, Sokolinskaya EL, Lukyanov KA, Bogdanov AM. Molecular Tools for Targeted Control of Nerve Cell Electrical Activity. Part I. Acta Naturae 2021; 13:52-64. [PMID: 34707897 PMCID: PMC8526180 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In modern life sciences, the issue of a specific, exogenously directed manipulation of a cell's biochemistry is a highly topical one. In the case of electrically excitable cells, the aim of the manipulation is to control the cells' electrical activity, with the result being either excitation with subsequent generation of an action potential or inhibition and suppression of the excitatory currents. The techniques of electrical activity stimulation are of particular significance in tackling the most challenging basic problem: figuring out how the nervous system of higher multicellular organisms functions. At this juncture, when neuroscience is gradually abandoning the reductionist approach in favor of the direct investigation of complex neuronal systems, minimally invasive methods for brain tissue stimulation are becoming the basic element in the toolbox of those involved in the field. In this review, we describe three approaches that are based on the delivery of exogenous, genetically encoded molecules sensitive to external stimuli into the nervous tissue. These approaches include optogenetics (Part I) as well as chemogenetics and thermogenetics (Part II), which are significantly different not only in the nature of the stimuli and structure of the appropriate effector proteins, but also in the details of experimental applications. The latter circumstance is an indication that these are rather complementary than competing techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D. V. Kolesov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - E. L. Sokolinskaya
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - K. A. Lukyanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - A. M. Bogdanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Djenoune L, Tomar R, Dorison A, Ghobrial I, Schenk H, Hegermann J, Beverly-Staggs L, Hidalgo-Gonzalez A, Little MH, Drummond IA. Autonomous Calcium Signaling in Human and Zebrafish Podocytes Controls Kidney Filtration Barrier Morphogenesis. J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 32:1697-1712. [PMID: 33911000 PMCID: PMC8425667 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2020101525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Podocytes are critical to maintaining the glomerular filtration barrier, and mutations in nephrotic syndrome genes are known to affect podocyte calcium signaling. However, the role of calcium signaling during podocyte development remains unknown. METHODS We undertook live imaging of calcium signaling in developing podocytes, using zebrafish larvae and human kidney organoids. To evaluate calcium signaling during development and in response to channel blockers and genetic defects, the calcium biosensor GCaMP6s was expressed in zebrafish podocytes. We used electron microscopy to evaluate filtration barrier formation in zebrafish, and Fluo-4 to detect calcium signals in differentiating podocytes in human kidney organoids. RESULTS Immature zebrafish podocytes (2.5 days postfertilization) generated calcium transients that correlated with interactions with forming glomerular capillaries. Calcium transients persisted until 4 days postfertilization, and were absent after glomerular barrier formation was complete. We detected similar calcium transients in maturing human organoid glomeruli, suggesting a conserved mechanism. In both models, inhibitors of SERCA or IP3 receptor calcium-release channels blocked calcium transients in podocytes, whereas lanthanum was ineffective, indicating the calcium source is from intracellular podocyte endoplasmic-reticulum stores. Calcium transients were not affected by blocking heartbeat or by blocking development of endothelium or endoderm, and they persisted in isolated glomeruli, suggesting podocyte-autonomous calcium release. Inhibition of expression of phospholipase C-γ1, but not nephrin or phospholipase C-ε1, led to significantly decreased calcium activity. Finally, blocking calcium release affected glomerular shape and podocyte foot process formation, supporting the critical role of calcium signaling in glomerular morphogenesis. CONCLUSIONS These findings establish podocyte cell-autonomous calcium signaling as a prominent and evolutionarily conserved feature of podocyte differentiation and demonstrate its requirement for podocyte foot process formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Djenoune
- Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Ritu Tomar
- Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Aude Dorison
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Irene Ghobrial
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Heiko Schenk
- Department of Medicine/Nephrology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany,Research Core Unit Electron Microscopy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Hegermann
- Research Core Unit Electron Microscopy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lynne Beverly-Staggs
- Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Aging, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
| | | | - Melissa H. Little
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Iain A. Drummond
- Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Aging, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Wu MY, Carbo-Tano M, Mirat O, Lejeune FX, Roussel J, Quan FB, Fidelin K, Wyart C. Spinal sensory neurons project onto the hindbrain to stabilize posture and enhance locomotor speed. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3315-3329.e5. [PMID: 34146485 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In the spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) are GABAergic interoceptive sensory neurons that detect spinal curvature via a functional coupling with the Reissner fiber. This mechanosensory system has recently been found to be involved in spine morphogenesis and postural control but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In zebrafish, CSF-cNs project an ascending and ipsilateral axon reaching two to six segments away. Rostralmost CSF-cNs send their axons ipsilaterally into the hindbrain, a brain region containing motor nuclei and reticulospinal neurons (RSNs), which send descending motor commands to spinal circuits. Until now, the synaptic connectivity of CSF-cNs has only been investigated in the spinal cord, where they synapse onto motor neurons and premotor excitatory interneurons. The identity of CSF-cN targets in the hindbrain and the behavioral relevance of these sensory projections from the spinal cord to the hindbrain are unknown. Here, we provide anatomical and molecular evidence that rostralmost CSF-cNs synapse onto the axons of large RSNs including Mauthner cells and V2a neurons. Functional anatomy and optogenetically assisted mapping reveal that rostral CSF-cNs also synapse onto the soma and dendrites of cranial motor neurons innervating hypobranchial muscles. During acousto-vestibular evoked escape responses, ablation of rostralmost CSF-cNs results in a weaker escape response with a decreased C-bend amplitude, lower speed, and deficient postural control. Our study demonstrates that spinal sensory feedback enhances speed and stabilizes posture, and reveals a novel spinal gating mechanism acting on the output of descending commands sent from the hindbrain to the spinal cord.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Yue Wu
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Martin Carbo-Tano
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Olivier Mirat
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Francois-Xavier Lejeune
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Julian Roussel
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Feng B Quan
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Kevin Fidelin
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Tsata V, Wehner D. Know How to Regrow-Axon Regeneration in the Zebrafish Spinal Cord. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061404. [PMID: 34204045 PMCID: PMC8228677 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity for long-distance axon regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury is poor in mammals but remarkable in some vertebrates, including fish and salamanders. The cellular and molecular basis of this interspecies difference is beginning to emerge. This includes the identification of target cells that react to the injury and the cues directing their pro-regenerative responses. Among existing models of successful spinal cord regeneration, the zebrafish is arguably the most understood at a mechanistic level to date. Here, we review the spinal cord injury paradigms used in zebrafish, and summarize the breadth of neuron-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors that have been identified to play pivotal roles in the ability of zebrafish to regenerate central nervous system axons and recover function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Tsata
- Experimental Surgery, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: (V.T.); (D.W.)
| | - Daniel Wehner
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Correspondence: (V.T.); (D.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Isa T, Marquez-Legorreta E, Grillner S, Scott EK. The tectum/superior colliculus as the vertebrate solution for spatial sensory integration and action. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R741-R762. [PMID: 34102128 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The superior colliculus, or tectum in the case of non-mammalian vertebrates, is a part of the brain that registers events in the surrounding space, often through vision and hearing, but also through electrosensation, infrared detection, and other sensory modalities in diverse vertebrate lineages. This information is used to form maps of the surrounding space and the positions of different salient stimuli in relation to the individual. The sensory maps are arranged in layers with visual input in the uppermost layer, other senses in deeper positions, and a spatially aligned motor map in the deepest layer. Here, we will review the organization and intrinsic function of the tectum/superior colliculus and the information that is processed within tectal circuits. We will also discuss tectal/superior colliculus outputs that are conveyed directly to downstream motor circuits or via the thalamus to cortical areas to control various aspects of behavior. The tectum/superior colliculus is evolutionarily conserved among all vertebrates, but tailored to the sensory specialties of each lineage, and its roles have shifted with the emergence of the cerebral cortex in mammals. We will illustrate both the conserved and divergent properties of the tectum/superior colliculus through vertebrate evolution by comparing tectal processing in lampreys belonging to the oldest group of extant vertebrates, larval zebrafish, rodents, and other vertebrates including primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Isa
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan; Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | | | - Sten Grillner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-17177, Sweden
| | - Ethan K Scott
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
In vivo calcium imaging reveals disordered interictal network dynamics in epileptic stxbp1b zebrafish. iScience 2021; 24:102558. [PMID: 34142057 PMCID: PMC8184515 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
STXBP1 mutations are associated with encephalopathy, developmental delay, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. While neural networks are known to operate at a critical state in the healthy brain, network behavior during pathological epileptic states remains unclear. Examining activity during periods between well-characterized ictal-like events (i.e., interictal period) could provide a valuable step toward understanding epileptic networks. To study these networks in the context of STXBP1 mutations, we combine a larval zebrafish model with in vivo fast confocal calcium imaging and extracellular local field potential recordings. Stxbp1b mutants display transient periods of elevated activity among local clusters of interacting neurons. These network "cascade" events were significantly larger in size and duration in mutants. At mesoscale resolution, cascades exhibit neurodevelopmental abnormalities. At single-cell scale, we describe spontaneous hyper-synchronized neuronal ensembles. That calcium imaging reveals uniquely disordered brain states during periods between pathological ictal-like seizure events is striking and represents a potential interictal biomarker.
Collapse
|
40
|
van der Zouwen CI, Boutin J, Fougère M, Flaive A, Vivancos M, Santuz A, Akay T, Sarret P, Ryczko D. Freely Behaving Mice Can Brake and Turn During Optogenetic Stimulation of the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:639900. [PMID: 33897379 PMCID: PMC8062873 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.639900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A key function of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) is to control the speed of forward symmetrical locomotor movements. However, the ability of freely moving mammals to integrate environmental cues to brake and turn during MLR stimulation is poorly documented. Here, we investigated whether freely behaving mice could brake or turn, based on environmental cues during MLR stimulation. We photostimulated the cuneiform nucleus (part of the MLR) in mice expressing channelrhodopsin in Vglut2-positive neurons in a Cre-dependent manner (Vglut2-ChR2-EYFP) using optogenetics. We detected locomotor movements using deep learning. We used patch-clamp recordings to validate the functional expression of channelrhodopsin and neuroanatomy to visualize the stimulation sites. In the linear corridor, gait diagram and limb kinematics were similar during spontaneous and optogenetic-evoked locomotion. In the open-field arena, optogenetic stimulation of the MLR evoked locomotion, and increasing laser power increased locomotor speed. Mice could brake and make sharp turns (~90°) when approaching a corner during MLR stimulation in the open-field arena. The speed during the turn was scaled with the speed before the turn, and with the turn angle. Patch-clamp recordings in Vglut2-ChR2-EYFP mice show that blue light evoked short-latency spiking in MLR neurons. Our results strengthen the idea that different brainstem neurons convey braking/turning and MLR speed commands in mammals. Our study also shows that Vglut2-positive neurons of the cuneiform nucleus are a relevant target to increase locomotor activity without impeding the ability to brake and turn when approaching obstacles, thus ensuring smooth and adaptable navigation. Our observations may have clinical relevance since cuneiform nucleus stimulation is increasingly considered to improve locomotion function in pathological states such as Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, or stroke.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelis Immanuel van der Zouwen
- Département de pharmacologie-physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Joël Boutin
- Département de pharmacologie-physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Maxime Fougère
- Département de pharmacologie-physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Aurélie Flaive
- Département de pharmacologie-physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Mélanie Vivancos
- Département de pharmacologie-physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Alessandro Santuz
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,Department of Training and Movement Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin School of Movement Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Turgay Akay
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Philippe Sarret
- Département de pharmacologie-physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.,Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.,Centre d'excellence en neurosciences de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.,Institut de pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Dimitri Ryczko
- Département de pharmacologie-physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.,Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.,Centre d'excellence en neurosciences de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.,Institut de pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Kölsch Y, Hahn J, Sappington A, Stemmer M, Fernandes AM, Helmbrecht TO, Lele S, Butrus S, Laurell E, Arnold-Ammer I, Shekhar K, Sanes JR, Baier H. Molecular classification of zebrafish retinal ganglion cells links genes to cell types to behavior. Neuron 2021; 109:645-662.e9. [PMID: 33357413 PMCID: PMC7897282 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) form an array of feature detectors, which convey visual information to central brain regions. Characterizing RGC diversity is required to understand the logic of the underlying functional segregation. Using single-cell transcriptomics, we systematically classified RGCs in adult and larval zebrafish, thereby identifying marker genes for >30 mature types and several developmental intermediates. We used this dataset to engineer transgenic driver lines, enabling specific experimental access to a subset of RGC types. Expression of one or few transcription factors often predicts dendrite morphologies and axonal projections to specific tectal layers and extratectal targets. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that molecularly defined RGCs exhibit specific functional tuning. Finally, chemogenetic ablation of eomesa+ RGCs, which comprise melanopsin-expressing types with projections to a small subset of central targets, selectively impaired phototaxis. Together, our study establishes a framework for systematically studying the functional architecture of the visual system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Kölsch
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig Maximilian University, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Joshua Hahn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna Sappington
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Manuel Stemmer
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - António M Fernandes
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thomas O Helmbrecht
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Shriya Lele
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Salwan Butrus
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Eva Laurell
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Irene Arnold-Ammer
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, QB3, Center for Computational Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Wang K, Hinz J, Zhang Y, Thiele TR, Arrenberg AB. Parallel Channels for Motion Feature Extraction in the Pretectum and Tectum of Larval Zebrafish. Cell Rep 2021; 30:442-453.e6. [PMID: 31940488 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-cortical visual areas in vertebrate brains extract relevant stimulus features, such as motion, object size, and location, to support diverse behavioral tasks. The optic tectum and pretectum, two primary visual areas in zebrafish, are involved in motion processing, and yet their differential neural representation of behaviorally relevant visual features is unclear. Here, we characterize receptive fields (RFs) of motion-sensitive neurons in the diencephalon and midbrain. We show that RFs of many pretectal neurons are large and sample the lower visual field, whereas RFs of tectal neurons are mostly small-size selective and sample the upper nasal visual field more densely. Furthermore, optomotor swimming can reliably be evoked by presenting forward motion in the lower temporal visual field alone, matching the lower visual field bias of the pretectum. Thus, tectum and pretectum extract different visual features from distinct regions of visual space, which is likely a result of their adaptations to hunting and optomotor behavior, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wang
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre for Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julian Hinz
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre for Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yue Zhang
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Graduate Training Centre for Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tod R Thiele
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Aristides B Arrenberg
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Sagi D, de Lecea L, Appelbaum L. Heterogeneity of Hypocretin/Orexin Neurons. FRONTIERS OF NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 45:61-74. [PMID: 34052814 PMCID: PMC8961008 DOI: 10.1159/000514964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The multifunctional, hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin (HCRT)-producing neurons regulate an array of physiological and behavioral states including arousal, sleep, feeding, emotions, stress, and reward. How a presumably uniform HCRT neuron population regulates such a diverse set of functions is not clear. The role of the HCRT neuropeptides may vary depending on the timing and localization of secretion and neuronal activity. Moreover, HCRT neuropeptides may not mediate all functions ascribed to HCRT neurons. Some could be orchestrated by additional neurotransmitters and neuropeptides that are expressed in HCRT neurons. We hypothesize that HCRT neurons are segregated into genetically, anatomically and functionally distinct subpopulations. We discuss accumulating data that suggest the existence of such HCRT neuron subpopulations that may effectuate the diverse functions of these neurons in mammals and fish.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana Sagi
- The Faculty of Life Sciences and the Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Luis de Lecea
- Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lior Appelbaum
- The Faculty of Life Sciences and the Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.,Corresponding author: Lior Appelbaum, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel. Telephone: +972-3-7384536,
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Fernandes AM, Mearns DS, Donovan JC, Larsch J, Helmbrecht TO, Kölsch Y, Laurell E, Kawakami K, Dal Maschio M, Baier H. Neural circuitry for stimulus selection in the zebrafish visual system. Neuron 2020; 109:805-822.e6. [PMID: 33357384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
When navigating the environment, animals need to prioritize responses to the most relevant stimuli. Although a theoretical framework for selective visual attention exists, its circuit implementation has remained obscure. Here we investigated how larval zebrafish select between simultaneously presented visual stimuli. We found that a mix of winner-take-all (WTA) and averaging strategies best simulates behavioral responses. We identified two circuits whose activity patterns predict the relative saliencies of competing visual objects. Stimuli presented to only one eye are selected by WTA computation in the inner retina. Binocularly presented stimuli, on the other hand, are processed by reciprocal, bilateral connections between the nucleus isthmi (NI) and the tectum. This interhemispheric computation leads to WTA or averaging responses. Optogenetic stimulation and laser ablation of NI neurons disrupt stimulus selection and behavioral action selection. Thus, depending on the relative locations of competing stimuli, a combination of retinotectal and isthmotectal circuits enables selective visual attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- António M Fernandes
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Duncan S Mearns
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Gradute School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU BioCenter, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Joseph C Donovan
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Johannes Larsch
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thomas O Helmbrecht
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Gradute School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU BioCenter, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Yvonne Kölsch
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Gradute School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU BioCenter, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Eva Laurell
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Marco Dal Maschio
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Herwig Baier
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Coombs S, Bak-Coleman J, Montgomery J. Rheotaxis revisited: a multi-behavioral and multisensory perspective on how fish orient to flow. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:223/23/jeb223008. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.223008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Here, we review fish rheotaxis (orientation to flow) with the goal of placing it within a larger behavioral and multisensory context. Rheotaxis is a flexible behavior that is used by fish in a variety of circumstances: to search for upstream sources of current-borne odors, to intercept invertebrate drift and, in general, to conserve energy while preventing downstream displacement. Sensory information available for rheotaxis includes water-motion cues to the lateral line and body-motion cues to visual, vestibular or tactile senses when fish are swept downstream. Although rheotaxis can be mediated by a single sense, each sense has its own limitations. For example, lateral line cues are limited by the spatial characteristics of flow, visual cues by water visibility, and vestibular and other body-motion cues by the ability of fish to withstand downstream displacement. The ability of multiple senses to compensate for any single-sense limitation enables rheotaxis to persist over a wide range of sensory and flow conditions. Here, we propose a mechanism of rheotaxis that can be activated in parallel by one or more senses; a major component of this mechanism is directional selectivity of central neurons to broad patterns of water and/or body motions. A review of central mechanisms for vertebrate orienting behaviors and optomotor reflexes reveals several motorsensory integration sites in the CNS that could be involved in rheotaxis. As such, rheotaxis provides an excellent opportunity for understanding the multisensory control of a simple vertebrate behavior and how a simple motor act is integrated with others to form complex behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl Coombs
- Bowling Green State University, Department of Biological Sciences and JP Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
| | - Joe Bak-Coleman
- University of Washington, Center for an Informed Public and eScience Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - John Montgomery
- University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Marine Science, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Hypothalamic Pomc Neurons Innervate the Spinal Cord and Modulate the Excitability of Premotor Circuits. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4579-4593.e7. [PMID: 32976803 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion requires energy, yet animals need to increase locomotion in order to find and consume food in energy-deprived states. While such energy homeostatic coordination suggests brain origin, whether the central melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) system directly modulates locomotion through motor circuits is unknown. Here, we report that hypothalamic Pomc neurons in zebrafish and mice have long-range projections into spinal cord regions harboring Mc4r-expressing V2a interneurons, crucial components of the premotor networks. Furthermore, in zebrafish, Mc4r activation decreases the excitability of spinal V2a neurons as well as swimming and foraging, while systemic or V2a neuron-specific blockage of Mc4r promotes locomotion. In contrast, in mice, electrophysiological recordings revealed that two-thirds of V2a neurons in lamina X are excited by the Mc4r agonist α-MSH, and acute inhibition of Mc4r signaling reduces locomotor activity. In addition, we found other Mc4r neurons in spinal lamina X that are inhibited by α-MSH, which is in line with previous studies in rodents where Mc4r agonists reduced locomotor activity. Collectively, our studies identify spinal V2a interneurons as evolutionary conserved second-order neurons of the central Mc4r system, providing a direct anatomical and functional link between energy homeostasis and locomotor control systems. The net effects of this modulatory system on locomotor activity can vary between different vertebrate species and, possibly, even within one species. We discuss the biological sense of this phenomenon in light of the ambiguity of locomotion on energy balance and the different living conditions of the different species.
Collapse
|
47
|
Barker AJ, Helmbrecht TO, Grob AA, Baier H. Functional, molecular and morphological heterogeneity of superficial interneurons in the larval zebrafish tectum. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:2159-2175. [PMID: 33278028 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The superficial interneurons, SINs, of the zebrafish tectum, have been implicated in a range of visual functions, including size discrimination, directional selectivity, and looming-evoked escape. This raises the question if SIN subpopulations, despite their morphological similarities and shared anatomical position in the retinotectal processing stream, carry out diverse, task-specific functions in visual processing, or if they have simple tuning properties in common. Here we have further characterized the SINs through functional imaging, electrophysiological recordings, and neurotransmitter typing in two transgenic lines, the widely used Gal4s1156t and the recently reported LCRRH2-RH2-2:GFP. We found that about a third of the SINs strongly responded to changes in whole-field light levels, with a strong preference for OFF over ON stimuli. Interestingly, individual SINs were selectively tuned to a diverse range of narrow luminance decrements. Overall responses to whole-field luminance steps did not vary with the position of the SIN cell body along the depth of the tectal neuropil or with the orientation of its neurites. We ruled out the possibility that intrinsic photosensitivity of Gal4s1156t+ SINs contribute to the measured visual responses. We found that, while most SINs express GABAergic markers, a substantial minority express an excitatory neuronal marker, the vesicular glutamate transporter, expanding the possible roles of SIN function in the tectal circuitry. In conclusion, SINs represent a molecularly, morphologically, and functionally heterogeneous class of interneurons, with subpopulations that detect a range of specific visual features, to which we have now added narrow luminance decrements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison J Barker
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas O Helmbrecht
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Aurélien A Grob
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Herwig Baier
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ryczko D, Grätsch S, Alpert MH, Cone JJ, Kasemir J, Ruthe A, Beauséjour PA, Auclair F, Roitman MF, Alford S, Dubuc R. Descending Dopaminergic Inputs to Reticulospinal Neurons Promote Locomotor Movements. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8478-8490. [PMID: 32998974 PMCID: PMC7605428 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2426-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Meso-diencephalic dopaminergic neurons are known to modulate locomotor behaviors through their ascending projections to the basal ganglia, which in turn project to the mesencephalic locomotor region, known to control locomotion in vertebrates. In addition to their ascending projections, dopaminergic neurons were found to increase locomotor movements through direct descending projections to the mesencephalic locomotor region and spinal cord. Intriguingly, fibers expressing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme of dopamine synthesis, were also observed around reticulospinal neurons of lampreys. We now examined the origin and the role of this innervation. Using immunofluorescence and tracing experiments, we found that fibers positive for dopamine innervate reticulospinal neurons in the four reticular nuclei of lampreys. We identified the dopaminergic source using tracer injections in reticular nuclei, which retrogradely labeled dopaminergic neurons in a caudal diencephalic nucleus (posterior tuberculum [PT]). Using voltammetry in brain preparations isolated in vitro, we found that PT stimulation evoked dopamine release in all four reticular nuclei, but not in the spinal cord. In semi-intact preparations where the brain is accessible and the body moves, PT stimulation evoked swimming, and injection of a D1 receptor antagonist within the middle rhombencephalic reticular nucleus was sufficient to decrease reticulospinal activity and PT-evoked swimming. Our study reveals that dopaminergic neurons have access to command neurons that integrate sensory and descending inputs to activate spinal locomotor neurons. As such, our findings strengthen the idea that dopamine can modulate locomotor behavior both via ascending projections to the basal ganglia and through descending projections to brainstem motor circuits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Meso-diencephalic dopaminergic neurons play a key role in modulating locomotion by releasing dopamine in the basal ganglia, spinal networks, and the mesencephalic locomotor region, a brainstem region that controls locomotion in a graded fashion. Here, we report in lampreys that dopaminergic neurons release dopamine in the four reticular nuclei where reticulospinal neurons are located. Reticulospinal neurons integrate sensory and descending suprareticular inputs to control spinal interneurons and motoneurons. By directly modulating the activity of reticulospinal neurons, meso-diencephalic dopaminergic neurons control the very last instructions sent by the brain to spinal locomotor circuits. Our study reports on a new direct descending dopaminergic projection to reticulospinal neurons that modulates locomotor behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Ryczko
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1H 5N4, Québec Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHUS, Sherbrooke, J1H 5N4, Québec, Canada
| | - Swantje Grätsch
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Michael H Alpert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607, Illinois
| | - Jackson J Cone
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607, Illinois
| | - Jacquelin Kasemir
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Angelina Ruthe
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | | | - François Auclair
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Mitchell F Roitman
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60607, Illinois
| | - Simon Alford
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60612-7308, Illinois
| | - Réjean Dubuc
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
- Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Department of Exercise Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Förster D, Helmbrecht TO, Mearns DS, Jordan L, Mokayes N, Baier H. Retinotectal circuitry of larval zebrafish is adapted to detection and pursuit of prey. eLife 2020; 9:e58596. [PMID: 33044168 PMCID: PMC7550190 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal axon projections form a map of the visual environment in the tectum. A zebrafish larva typically detects a prey object in its peripheral visual field. As it turns and swims towards the prey, the stimulus enters the central, binocular area, and seemingly expands in size. By volumetric calcium imaging, we show that posterior tectal neurons, which serve to detect prey at a distance, tend to respond to small objects and intrinsically compute their direction of movement. Neurons in anterior tectum, where the prey image is represented shortly before the capture strike, are tuned to larger object sizes and are frequently not direction-selective, indicating that mainly interocular comparisons serve to compute an object's movement at close range. The tectal feature map originates from a linear combination of diverse, functionally specialized, lamina-specific, and topographically ordered retinal ganglion cell synaptic inputs. We conclude that local cell-type composition and connectivity across the tectum are adapted to the processing of location-dependent, behaviorally relevant object features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Förster
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes – Circuits – BehaviorMartinsriedGermany
| | - Thomas O Helmbrecht
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes – Circuits – BehaviorMartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU BioCenterMartinsriedGermany
| | - Duncan S Mearns
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes – Circuits – BehaviorMartinsriedGermany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU BioCenterMartinsriedGermany
| | - Linda Jordan
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes – Circuits – BehaviorMartinsriedGermany
| | - Nouwar Mokayes
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes – Circuits – BehaviorMartinsriedGermany
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Department Genes – Circuits – BehaviorMartinsriedGermany
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Ryczko D, Simon A, Ijspeert AJ. Walking with Salamanders: From Molecules to Biorobotics. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:916-930. [PMID: 33010947 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
How do four-legged animals adapt their locomotion to the environment? How do central and peripheral mechanisms interact within the spinal cord to produce adaptive locomotion and how is locomotion recovered when spinal circuits are perturbed? Salamanders are the only tetrapods that regenerate voluntary locomotion after full spinal transection. Given their evolutionary position, they provide a unique opportunity to bridge discoveries made in fish and mammalian models. Genetic dissection of salamander neural circuits is becoming feasible with new methods for precise manipulation, elimination, and visualisation of cells. These approaches can be combined with classical tools in neuroscience and with modelling and a robotic environment. We propose that salamanders provide a blueprint of the function, evolution, and regeneration of tetrapod locomotor circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Ryczko
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
| | - András Simon
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, 17163 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Auke Jan Ijspeert
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|